From H. E. Litchfield to Emma Darwin 15 August [1880–5?]

Dearest Mother.

We found your nice letter here on arriving & I tore up the dangerous list.

It was much warmer yesterday, really quite warm & some sun & the view looking prettier than I had ever seen it. Hope is a most clever gardener & she has such lots of things— Amongst others some most beautiful white phloxes with larger flowers & longer spikes than ours. Her Shirley poppies are lovely too. Sweet william must have been gorgeous but is a little over. The Kitcheners are here & no one else wh. is nice. Mary is very friendly & I went & paid her a visit in bed. The great addition is that they've got such a nice friendly dog, a bit bigger than Dick. He came and sat with me on my bed & is a great addition to life— The other animals are rampant, jerboas & doves. Bim looks grown & very well. Hope more cheerful than I expected & Godfrey looks well.

Goodbye for today—

I am afraid Bessy will not have had a single fine day— Wher is the is the story abt her Dantes. Did Still address them